How Do We Do This?

We have had multiple people ask us how we make the paper, how much time goes into it, how we figure out what information to put in, among more. Here we will answer all your questions, providing in-depth details about how The Lighthouse is created.

Step 1: The Very Beginning The very first thing we do is brainstorm what's been going on recently in the school. Whether it be musicals, sports games, etc., we find something interesting that can be our front-cover, longest article. If we can't find any interesting things going on throughout the school, we will contact either our advisor, Mrs. Davis, or principal, Mr. Palmer, and ask them for suggestions, as they usually have ideas that we never would've thought of.

Step 2: Finding the Information & Pictures

After we've figured out exactly what we want to include in the paper for that specific issue, we have to find the information to support it and to provide substance to the articles. This can include reaching out to different people, such as Mr. Palmer, where he will give us a specific direction to go in, and will set us up with interviews that will add to our articles. We usually write this information down in paper and pencil, or onto a online document. Also, pictures and the visual element of the paper are very important to us, so as we find the information we need, we take pictures or try to find pictures that go along with the information.​

Step 3: WritingWhen it comes to writing, it starts off on our Google doc. The Lighthouse has its own Gmail account, and we utilize this the best we can, including creating a document every two weeks that we just write our articles directly on to, including sharing pictures and ideas. This is where the information comes into play, as we need it to write our articles.

Step 4: Creating the Paper Itself​After or during the writing process, comes the creation of the newspaper itself. James breaks out his mighty, drumroll please- Google Draw- and creates eight different Google drawings, which become the individual pages of the issue. He adds the articles into their individual spots, along with the pictures. This is a gradual process, adding in as we go, because we never know if we'll need more or less information than we planned. After the individual pages are completed, they are individually downloaded as PDF documents. These PDF documents are then merged together, creating the final PDF.

Here we must emphasize the importance of three things: clipart, deadlines, and communication. Although clipart (free clipart, I should say) is more of a joke at this point, it's become a staple of The Lighthouse. Us writers like to joke about it, stressing the importance of it. Also, deadlines and communication are very important. Without communicating, two staff members will be interviewed for Staff of the Week, or an entire page will accidentally be blank by the day we need to turn it in. Not to mention, if people- anyone writing or contributing- don't follow the deadlines, all hope is lost. We are on a very tight schedule here, folks!

Step 5: Getting It PrintedQuite possibly our easiest step is getting the paper printed. James sends the merged PDF over to Mr. Palmer the Thursday or Friday the week before the issue is to come out, who then sends it to the print shop. The print shop will then have it printed and shipped to the school by the next Tuesday (we were always aiming for Monday, but oh well). Then the fun part comes- handing it out to students and staff throughout the building.

See Our Schedule

Answering Specific Questions​1. How long do you work on The Lighthouse per week? Well, it differs for all of us. Usually we work the most the week before the issue is to come out (week two in our graph). James says he works about 8-9 hours that week, combined with about 4 or 5 hours the week before, totalling in about 12-15 hours per two weeks. Emilia says it's about the same for her too.2. Why do you do it?We don't know either. 3. Do you like doing it?James says, "Yes, surprisingly more than I thought I would. I like seeing the paper come together while I'm creating it in the drawings, figuring out exactly how to position the articles and the pictures. It's also nice to hold a packet of paper that people actually care about, that you've put your heart and soul into for weeks. Not gunna lie, it's really messed with my routine which is very important to me, but looking back on it so far, I enjoy the times I've had to stay up very late just to make sure it's finished. Seeing people actually care about something that I thought would crash and burn is really enjoyable."Emilia says, "Writing for the Lighthouse takes a long time but its not like I have anything better to do. I really enjoy writing the articles and seeing how the community reacts to what we write."